The Sovereign's Ascension

Chapter 2055 - I Am Ye Qingtian

“The Eight Ominous Souls Locking Array!” Lin Yun raised his head and began to reminisce. He had seen this array in Azurerock County’s Hidden Sword Pavilion before, but the array there couldn’t be compared to this one. A massive cauldron that was reaching a thousand feet with boiling magma and looked like a volcano.

Above the massive cauldron was a gigantic sword hovering in the air, with eight shackles around it. The far end of the shackles were connected to eight ominous beasts.

“The Cauldron Sword should be in this,” Lin Yun muttered. But the Eight Ominous Souls Locking Array was in the main courtyard that was some distance from him. He could only see the cauldron and the massive sword from afar, but couldn’t see the true appearance of the array.

The Hidden Sword Manor was filled with people, and various people had gathered on the observation stand. The inner section was filled with young swordsmen. Everyone who could make it through the three tests were the elite amongst the elite, wanting to shine at this event.

If it was in the past, Lin Yun’s emotions would fluctuate during such an event, but he was calmer than he thought after experiencing various sceneries. The rules of the Sword Assembly were the same as before. Everyone could fight freely, and those who lost would lose the opportunity to compete. If they won, they could carry on the challenge or go down to rest.

If they wanted to stand out, they could only use their attainment in the sword and convince everyone with their strength. They weren’t required to go through multiple rounds, unlike a sect's ranking battles. The rules during the Sword Assembly were more casual and more fitting for a swordsman's personality; they could fight whomever they wanted.

Lin Yun followed the crowd forth and wanted to hand over his invitation. Those without an invitation could only go to the observation stand. When Lin Yun handed the invitation forth, the disciples in charge of checking the invitation wanted to let him go.

“Wait!” But when Lin Yun took a step forth, a person wearing the clothes of the Hidden Sword Manor’s inner disciple called Lin Yun over and looked at his invitation. When he saw the invitation, he raised his head and made a weird look towards Lin Yun. He asked, “Heavenly Dao Sect’s Ye Qingtian?”

“Is there a problem?” Lin Yun asked.

The azure-clothed swordsman smiled and returned the invitation, “You’re Ye Qingtian? I heard you wanted to become the second Jian Jingtian?”

Lin Yun frowned upon hearing that. The azure-clothed swordsman might be smiling, but Lin Yun could sense enmity from this person.

“It’s different from the past now. A few Eastern Desolation swordsmen have received the invitation, and the strength of the various holy lands is stronger than they were two decades ago.” The azure-clothed youth looked at Lin Yun with a playful gaze.

Lin Yun felt weird, but he didn’t express himself and received the invitation before continuing. When he entered, Lin Yun headed straight to where the Eight Ominous Souls Locking Array was located. The Eight Ominous Souls Locking Array was massive, and the statues were empowered by spiritual arrays with spring water gushing out from each ominous statue’s mouth.

The spring water formed a massive pool that wasn’t any different from a lake. But there was something unusual about the water because it gave off a weird feeling. It felt like spring water, but he couldn’t see through the water.

“Your first time here?” A white-clothed youth smiled beside Lin Yun.

When Lin Yun looked at this person, he had a feeling that this person was extraordinary and nodded.

“This is the Hidden Sword Lake. The water from the ominous beast statues might look like spring water, but they’re sacred flame magma that has been tempered thousands of times. it doesn’t contain any impurities, and is also called spiritual sacred goldwater,” the white-clothed youth explained, seeming familiar with this place.

“Sacred flame magma? Spiritual sacred goldwater?” Lin Yun asked in surprise.

“Haha, isn’t it an eye-opening experience?” The white-clothed youth smiled. “The magma is a form of earthly flame that came from underground, consisting of metal materials. At the very least, it has to be tempered for over a thousand years to create this lake. An experienced spiritualist can easily forge a saint sword here with it.”

This was an eye-opening experience for Lin Yun, and it was easy for the Hidden Sword Manor to forge saint swords. He now knew why so many people were selling swords in Nether Ethereal City.

“Look at the clouds.” The white-clothed youth pointed to the sky.

When Lin Yun raised his head, the clouds above the giant sword looked like faint golden flaming clouds, like a gigantic golden fire dragon.

“This is the Sky Devouring Fire Dragon phenomenon that only heavenly flames can create. Since there are earthly flames, there are heavenly flames,” the white-clothed youth explained. “By using the heavenly, earthly, and mortal flames, paired with various tribulations and some rare constellations, a Sovereign Saint Sword can be created! Since ancient times, the Heavenly Sword Manor has created twelve Sovereign Saint Swords, each one is famous throughout the Kunlun Realm. They’re in the hands of various sword dao holy lands within the Kunlun Realm. Although the owners keep changing, the Sovereign Saint Swords were preserved over time.”

The white-clothed youth sighed, “So whenever the Hidden Sword Manor is in danger, they can easily call the owners of those Sovereign Saint Swords to reinforce them. This is why they’re the Sword Alliance’s alliance master. Compared to that, Skysolute City’s foundation is weaker.”

Lin Yun didn’t notice that the white-clothed youth was sighing and muttered, “So the Cauldron Sword is in here?”

“That’s right,” the white-clothed youth smiled. “The Cauldron Sword is one of the few Sovereign Saint Swords that have remained with the Hidden Sword Manor, sealed within the Eight Ominous Souls Locking Array.”

Lin Yun’s eyes lit up when he heard that the Cauldron Sword was here. He asked, “Seeing that you’re so experienced, may I know which holy land you come from?”

“I’m only an ordinary swordsman among the masses with nothing special about me. You can just call me Yun Feng,” the white-clothed youth smiled.

“You’re too humble. Those who can make it through the three tests are undoubtedly geniuses,” Lin Yun smiled.

Yun Feng shook his head and smiled, “To genuine experts, it’s easy for them to make it through the three tests. Only four are worthy of paying attention to. Aside from the four of them, everyone else is mediocre. The Sword Alliance might seem bustling, but everyone here will become the background to the four of them.”

“Oh? I’m all ears,” Lin Yun said. He naturally knew some shone brightly during the three tests, but he didn’t pay much attention to them. So he didn’t know who to take note of.

“Look over there,” Yun Feng said. He pointed to a palace that was hovering in the sky. The palace was luxurious and enveloped in a saint radiance. At the top of the palace was the host of this Sword Assembly, the young manor master of the Hidden Sword Manor, Feng Shaoyu, and he was surrounded by guests and geniuses from the Sword Alliance. There were four with extraordinary temperaments.

“See that?” Yun Feng smiled. “Just their temperaments alone is extraordinary, and this is because they have grasped the Astral Sword Intent. Astral Sword Intent… Those who didn’t grasp it won’t know how powerful it is, and others can only become their background.”

Lin Yun didn’t say anything because he knew best how powerful Astral Sword Intent was. If he didn’t grasp Astral Sword Intent, he would’ve been easily killed if he ran into a Quasi-Saint at the Azure Origin Phase. He wouldn’t even dare to clash with them head-on if he didn’t grasp Astral Sword Intent.

Astral Sword Intent's support gave him the confidence to face any enemies, even if his opponent had a powerful foundation. If his enemy was careless, it might even allow him to slay his opponent.

“The one wearing blue clothes is the Hidden Sword Manor’s Feng Shengling. That fellow has grasped Astral Sword Intent six months ago, and no swordsman was his opponent amongst those of the same generation at the Southern Border,” Yun Feng said, pointing with his hand. “The black-clothed youth with a devilish look is the Black Plume Palace’s Zhao Wuji. The Black Plume Palace is the head of all the holy lands at the Northern Ridge, and they used to be cocky. The Black Plume Sword Canon is also a demonic cultivation technique. The white-clothed youth is more low-profiled when compared to everyone else. He’s the Myriad Sword Pavilion’s Jiang Yunting. But his sword isn’t low profile because he once killed a Quasi-Saint at the Azure Origin Phase with three swords.”

Lin Yun fell into deep thoughts. The Myriad Sword Pavilion and Black Plume Palace were immortal sword dao holy lands, and they have had an inheritance since ancient times. As sword dao holy lands, it’s unsurprising that their disciples could grasp Astral Sword Intent.

“Then the last one must be Gu Zijing?” Lin Yun asked.

“You know him?” Yun Feng asked.

“I’ve seen him in his carriage,” Lin Yun replied casually.

Yun Feng smiled, “That’s right. The last person is Gu Zijing. That fellow might be extraordinary and cocky, but he has the strength to back up his arrogance. The Heavenly Sealing Canon left behind by the Ice Emperor has a high threshold, and those who could cultivate it before reaching the Quasi-Saint Realm have the capital to be arrogant.”

“So there are only four people who have grasped the Astral Sword Intent?” Lin Yun asked after a brief pondering.

“Is four not enough? Do you think the Astral Sword Intent is that easy to grasp? It’s nearly impossible for someone to grasp Astral Sword Intent before reaching the Quasi-Saint Realm,” Yun Feng said after a brief stun. “There hasn’t been anyone who has grasped the Astral Sword Intent before them in the past twenty years. Only Jian Jingtian managed to defeat the entire Sword Alliance alone, regardless if he fought one-on-one or fought many at the same time. Otherwise, do you think the Sword Alliance would let him go?”

Lin Yun was stunned and asked, “Doesn’t the sword dao holy lands have resources for swordsmen? Such as the Great Solar Saint Pellet and Great Lunar Saint Pellet.”

Yun Feng sighed, “But you have to grasp Astral Sword Intent first. It’s impossible to rely on resources to grasp Astral Sword Intent. So there’s no shortcut to grasping Astral Sword Intent before the Quasi-Saint Realm. Even if one stepped into the Quasi-Saint Realm, taking a shortcut won’t be easy because it’s dangerous. It’s not easy to break through the thirty-six layers of heaven.”

Lin Yun didn’t refute those words because it wasn’t easy for him to grasp Astral Sword Intent, either. If he didn’t receive guidance from the man on the Celestial Purging Mountain, he might not have grasped Astral Sword Intent now.

“There are rumors recently that a genius swordsman appeared and wanted to become the second Jian Jingtian. I don’t believe it at all,” Yun Feng said.

“Who is it?” Lin Yun asked.

“You don’t know about him?” Yun Feng looked at Lin Yun with surprise. He smiled, “Who else aside from Ye Qingtian? There are rumors that he has also grasped the Astral Sword Intent, and has defeated Zhao Wuji’s four sword servants with one sword. He was even cockier than Gu Zijing, claiming that he wanted to repeat Jian Jingtian’s legend from twenty years ago, and he even said the Sword Alliance was nothing in his eyes.”

Lin Yun’s face changed because he couldn’t remember saying that. He stayed in the Heavenly Dao Sect’s branch after the gathering to prevent trouble and never went out.

Right then, Yun Feng smiled, “Speaking of which, Ye Qingtian can be considered a talent to hide in the Celestial Pool for a month just to peek at the Nether Orchid Holy Maiden showering. Most importantly, he succeeded!”

Yun Feng raised his head and couldn’t help smiling, “Brother, your complexion doesn’t look good. What’s the matter? You know Ye Qingtian?”

“I am Ye Qingtian,” Lin Yun said after a brief silence.